EFFC AND DSS Public analyst intervene

Niyi Odebode, Olalekan Adetayo , Eniola
Akinkuotu, Adelani Adepegba and Olaleye
Aluko
The Presidency is still waiting for the
official reports on what transpired
between the officials of the Department
of State Services and the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja
on Tuesday , The PUNCH has learnt .
Officials of the sister agencies were on
Tuesday involved in a showdown when
the EFCC operatives attempted to arrest
a former Director General of the DSS,
Mr. Ita Ekpeyong ; and a former DG of
the National Intelligence Agency ,
Ambassador Ayo Oke .
The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday that
the issue of the face - off came up at the
weekly meeting of the Federal Executive
Council presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari earlier in the day.
A cabinet member, who spoke on
condition of anonymity , said council
members resolved that the issue could
only be handled properly after the
submission of official reports by the
affected agencies .
The heads of the two agencies are not
members of FEC .
He said , “ The issue came up during the
‘Any Other Business’ segment of the
council meeting today (Wednesday ). The
truth of the matter is that as of the time
of the meeting, the only information
available to the government on the issue
was the media report on the matter.
“ Government’s business is not operated
in that manner . So , the resolution was
that we will wait for official reports from
the affected agencies .
“ That, I am sure , will be coming in very
soon. ”
Report DSS to Buhari , Sagay tells Magu
But the Chairman , Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption, Prof . Itse
Sagay (SAN ), advised Magu to report
what transpired between the EFCC and
officials of the DSS to the President.
Sagay , in an interview with one of our
correspondents on Wednesday , said
Magu should write a letter on the clash
between the EFCC and the DSS to Buhari.
Officials of the DSS and EFCC were
involved in a showdown for over 13
hours on Tuesday when the EFCC
operatives arrived at the homes of a
former Director General of the DSS, Ita
Ekpenyong, and an ex - boss of the
National Intelligence Agency , Ayo Oke ,
to arrest them .
Ekpenyong, who served as the head of
the DSS from 2010 to 2015, had been
invited by the EFCC for his alleged role
in the arms scam involving a former
National Security Adviser, Col . Sambo
Dasuki (retd . ), and other service chiefs
who have since been arraigned .
Sagay said , “ I think the EFCC should
refer the matter to the President so that
he can take action because the President
is the overall boss and if people are
misbehaving like that, preventing
agencies from doing their work, then
there should be a penalty for
misconduct . ”
The PACAC chairman also described the
fiasco as unfortunate , adding that no one
was above the law .
Sagay said , “ We all know that the law
empowers the EFCC to investigate , arrest
and prosecute and they have the right to
interrogate and invite you and if you
refuse to come , they can arrest you. So,
anybody , who refuses , that is engaging
in lawlessness and is trying to turn the
country into a chaotic state of
lawlessness which is certainly not good
for the country .
“ No one is immune from arrest except
the President, Vice- President, governor
and deputy governor . ”
Sagay disagreed with those saying the
EFCC should have written to the DSS
before attempting to arrest the former
DG.
He said , “ The DSS procedures do not
supersede the laws of the land. The EFCC
Act does not require the agency writing
to anybody first. They cannot make a
law that supersedes that of the National
Assembly . The excuses of the DSS are just
a way of covering up sheer lawlessness . ”
It’s flagrant disregard for court order
–SAN
On his part, a human rights lawyer, Mr.
Femi Falana (SAN ), berated the DSS for
obstructing the EFCC .
He further stated that the incident should
not be treated as a mere ‘inter - agen